Carrier.



G. J. CHADWICK.

. CARRIER.

APPLIGATION FILED JULY 11, 1913.

Patented May 12, 1914.

2 BHBBTB-BBIIET 1.

ccLUMmA PLANQUE/mn c C. J. CHADWIGK.

CARRIER.

APPLICATION IILBD JULY 11, 1913.

Patented May 12, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Mina-ss '96 @TAFE FAEN CORNELIA J. CHADWICK, OF NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND.

CARRIER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ConNnLLi J. CIL-xn wick, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newport, in the county of Newportand State oit Rhode Island, have invented a certain new and useful Carrier, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to improvements in carriers of the type for which were granted to me Lett/ers Patent or thc United States No. 620,694-, dated March 7, 1899; these being essentially flexible arriers adapted to the transportation of wounded, or otherwise disabled, persons by their attendants, as from battle 'fields or decks oit vessels in action, the said carriers heilig characterized by their compactness, and stowability, when not expanded for use, and by their comparative noninterference with freedom of movement on the part of the bearers when loaded.

Theobjects of my present invention comprise impartation oit' greater security and comfort to the patient during transportation in such carriers, simplification and acceleratien oit transformation from the folded to the set-up, and connected, condition, and. adaptation of such carriers not only to patients capable of sitting postures, but also to those complet-ely prostrated. l attain these and other useful objects by means ot the devices, and combinations of devices, illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which t Figure l is a plan view of a carrier unit comprising my improvements and unfolded into substantially a single plane. F ig. 2 is a similar view showing two of said units combined with each other, and with poles, to constitute a stretcher, the major marginal projections oi one of said units being raised out of said plane and clutched together in position to secure the patient. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, seen in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 4 is al perspective view of a bearersharness adapted for combination with the unit ot' Fig. l. Figs. 5 and G are perspective views illustrating the adjustment to the bearer ot the harness of Fig. 3, and seen respectively from the front and rear of the bearer. Fig. 7 is a perspective front view showing one method of combining` the unit of l with the harnesses of Fig. i when worn by the bearers. Fig. 8 is the same as Fig. 7 with addition of the patient seated in the carrier. Fig. 9 is a perspective view illustrating the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 11, 1913.

Yatented May 12, 1914:.

serial No. 773,528.

reverse couplingof the unit of Fig. 1 to the harnesses whereby the arms oit the bearers are lett con'iparatively free.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several figures.

a represents the body supporting piece of one of my improved carrier units. It is made of any suliiciently strong, flexible, Inaterial, as, tor instance, canvas. It is, when expanded flat, rectangillar and somewhat oblong as shown. It comprises disposed in parallelism with each other and with its central longitudinal axis, on opposite sides therco't, thereto annexed tubular receptacles C, G', for insertion ot bearing-poles C, c', preferably consisting, as indicated in the drawings, of a unitary hem of the constituting material having its edge secured thereto as by the seam Y" (sec F ig. 3) thus constituting said tubular receptacle for a pole, the entire length oi two opposite sides oi the body supj'iorting piece u, but it will be understood that other equivalently operating devices might be employed as for example a row of alined rings secured t0 said body inembcr along cach of opposite sides thereof. My carrier unit also comprises adjacent one side ot its said body supportingpiece a, a pair of therewith connected thereit'rem outwardly and oppositely presented like suspcndcrs a2, 0.2, disposed to extend from said body-supporting piece in opposite directions in parallelism with said, side and each carry ing sccured thereto adjacent its outward extremity a clutching device a3, which is preferably any usual form ot clutching device, tor example such as the well known harness spring snap, though buckles or other fastening device might less conveniently be employed. The Suspenders u?, are made et' flexible material tor example canvas the same as the body-member a, and are secured thereto in any convenient manner, as for example by rivets m, or by stitching, and said Suspenders c2, a2, are preferably made of a single unitary strip of material extending completely across one end ot' said body supporting piece as indicated in Figs. l and 3. My carrier unit also comprises secured thereto in any convenient manner, adjacent that end o't said body-mcmber a which is opposite to that carrying the projections a2, o2, a pair ci outwardly and oppositcly presented suspcnders e, c', which are shorter than the suspender-s a2, a2, and are similarly provided with clutches similar to those hereinbefore described. It will be observed however, and this is of essential importance, that the clutches of the shorter suspenders c, e', are, when the carrier unit is spread out flat as shown in Fig. 1, located much nearer the center of said supporting piece a than are the clutches of the longer suspenders (r2, a2.' My carrier unit also comprises secured thereto in any conv-enientmanner, intermediate its said clutches c, e', a therefrom outwardly presented fth clutch c3, similar in construc tion to the clutches heretofore described.

A .form and construction of bearer-harness adapted for use in combination with my said unit carrier comprises as shown, a relatively-broad shoulder pad j from which iang the carrying-straps g, g, each bearing at its nether extremity a ringz' or 7c, (Fig. fl) adapted to be engaged respectively by one of the clutches e, e, or as, a3. A waist belt 7L is combined with the straps g, g, in any conve-nient manner so as to aid in keeping them in desired position.

1t follows from the above described constructions that my carrier-unit is attachable, and detachable, from the harnesses on the bearers with the greatest possible simplicity and rapidity. But what is more important, the relation andl proportions of the parts are such that when so attached there is provided not only -a comfortable flexible support for the patients seat when in sitting posture as shown in Fig. 8, but also, unitary with said seat support, an upward extension thereof constituting a further support against which the patients back may sccurely rest While in said posture. On the other hand, support is `also afforded to the under parts of the thighs up to the knees. The entire body of the patient is thus securely held in the carrier unit against displacement in either a forward or backward direction while being carried, and transverse displacement is sufliciently guarded against by the presence of the bearers bodies which contact with the patients on either side.

rhe usual method of combining the harnesses with the carrier unit is shown in Figs. 7 and. 8. 1n this the patient faces in the same direction as the bearers, and therefore the latter `are further enabled to support his head with their hands or arms as shown in Fig. 8. But if the patient be suiiiciently strong and it is desirable that the bearers arms be free to handle weapons, or to assist in climbing up or down, the direction of attachment of the carrier unit to the harnesses may be reversed as shown in Fig. 9, this bringing the patient back to back with the bearers and leaving their hands and arms free for any purpose.

1t is designed that pluralities of my carrier units shall be at all times available, as for instance in field or other hospitals, with relief corps7 or on board ship, etc. Whenever, therefore, the condition of the patient is such as to preclude his transportation in sitting posture, the construction of such units is such as to enable a pair of them to immediately provide means for constructing a litter suitable for conveyance of the patient recumbently. To this end the carrier units are combined with each other by interlocking together the clutches c, e, and e3, of the one with the corresponding clutches of the other as shown in Fig. 2 after which the poles c, c, being thrust through the tubular receptacles C, C', a litter is thereby constituted and the suspenders a2, a?, of the respective units being drawn up and their clutches a3, as, inter-clasped as shown in Fig. 3, the body of the patient within them is thereby hindered from falling off.

What 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is the following, viz

1. The combination, in a carrier, of a pair of bearers-liarnesses; a flexible, rectangular, body-supporting piece; a pair of flexible Suspenders each connecting a corner of one side of said body-supporting piece with one of said harnesses; and another pair of longer suspenders each connecting a corner of the opposite side of said body-supporting piece with one of said harnesses,

Awhereby said body piece is enabled to simultaneously support, as against fore and aft displacements, the back, the seat, vand the under part of the thighs of the patient thereby carried.

2. The combination, in a carrier, of a flexible body-supporting piece having tubular receptacles disposed in parallelism with each other adjacent to two opposite sides thereof; adjacent an edge of said piece intermediate said receptacles a pair of flexible Suspenders disposed to extend in opposite directions in parallelism with said edge; and, adjacent to the opposite edge of said piece, a pair of shorter Suspenders substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. The combination, in a. carrier, of a flexible body-supporting` piece having tubular receptacles disposed in parallelism with each other adjacent to two opposite sides thereof; adjacent an edge of said piece intermediate said receptacles a pair of flexible Suspenders disposed to extend in opposite directions in parallelism with said edge; adjacent to the opposite edge of said piece7 a pair of shorter Suspenders, and a fastening device disposed between said last mentioned Suspenders substantially as and for the purposes specified.

CORNELL-ld J. CHABVVCK. llVitnesses S. lll. STEVENS, S. C. VVI-IIrPLE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, ID. G. 

